Finished “The Year of Intelligent Tigers” and, while it was very good, something about it just didn’t click with me. A lot of people have called it their favorite, or the best one, and I intellectually understand why, but emotionally it just didn’t grab me in the same way that Kate Orman’s other EDAs have done. Maybe it was overhyped, maybe I was too sleep-deprived when I finished it, all I know is, on a gut-instinct level, something didn’t quite land. Something keeps it from being a 5/5, and I’m not sure what.
Also, I’m half a chapter into “The Slow Empire” and it’s already a lot in the best possible way. It’s immediately high concept sci-fi, with a frankly absurd prose style, part of it is genuinely written in comic sans for some reason, and there are copious footnotes that are basically mini-stories on their own. I don’t expect this book to be better written than the previous one, but it’s immediately going full blast on all the weirdness that I love about Doctor Who in general and the EDAs specifically, which means it’s more enjoyable (that feels wrong, somehow).
Finished Venusian Lullaby. Though it was a complicated read, I quite enjoyed it. It’s nice to actually get an in depth exploration of a truly alien culture, even if I did have to keep flipping to the cover to remind myself on how to visualise the Venusians. I’m always in awe whenever a writer can channel that whimsy and wanderlust of 60’s who, while still doing something more adult/ambitious. I might keep an eye out for more Paul Leonard stories in future.
The Adventures Before arrived yesterday and I just read the first story, The Boy and The Dalek, and I was thoroughly underwhelmed. Doesn’t fit that well to me as a prequel to the Daleks and feels out of place.
I do love an appearance from the Gold Dalek Emperor though, always love seeing that one pop up which it has done a reasonable amount the last few years.
Finished “Theatre of War” in the VNAs. Loved it as much as I did first time about 5 years ago. All three of our main characters are on form in the best way, and Benny meets Braxiatel for the first time
Perhaps the ending needed 15-20 pages more to not feel rushed, but it’s a minor quibble.
One of my favourite VNAs so far.
This is as far as I ever got last time I wanted to read all VNAs, so from now on it’s totally new territory for me (except from Blood Harvest, and Human Nature that were the first VNAs I got physical copies of.
I don’t know how I got to the point where I’m reading The Dead Men Diaries, A Life of Surprises and Life during Wartime simultaneously. I need to look up Benny’s timeline on wiki every time I’m opening one of these
About halfway through The Knights of Atlantis, the most recent Andy McDermott book. Then I’ve got Doctor Who: Caged sitting on my desk to read after that. (They both came in within a couple days of each other, but McDermott had holds and Caged didn’t, so McDermott gets read first.)
I’d definitely like it more if it wasn’t a Dalek story.
Also when the Second Doctor says that it is Skaro, hime planet of the Daleks and he hasn’t been there for some years… just seems odd with Jamie and Victoria considering Evil of the Daleks.
I’ve restarted Another Life, trying to get into a better routine mentally, and decided reading a little each day might help with that.
Enjoying it so far, some great characterization, including a quote from Owen (well, Owen, Tosh, and Gwen, but main bit is Owen), that I’m absolutely putting on the site
I heard it’s the most boring of the Torchwood books, and couldn’t get past the first few chapters myself. Are you saying it’s worth giving it another try?
